


A Day in the Wrong Series

by GestaltistCake



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M, abridged-verse with canon Marik, canon universe with Marik Sebastian Ishtar III
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:13:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8189429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GestaltistCake/pseuds/GestaltistCake
Summary: prompt: How about the usual abridged universe but with one thing amiss: canon Malik Ishtar instead of the great Marik Sebastian Ishtar III? How will the rest react? How will he react to Tea’s “Future husband, meet my future sex slave,” scene???Marik looks to Bakura for answers, and they both end up learning something from the conversation.Update: Chapter 2 is up! It's the inverse of the same scenes, with Abridged!Marik in the canon universe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to LittleKuriboh: I would've never gotten to have fun writing this if you hadn't created YGOTAS.

Everything was in place, not a hair out of line. _Today, my plan will advance by another step,_ Marik thought contentedly. Soon, he would be at the Battle City finals, ready to defeat the pharaoh once and for all. He shared his plans with Odion, as he usually did, because he knew his brother would listen and obey. 

Sure enough, Odion replied with a “Yes, Master Marik” to everything he declared. It was unusually straightforward, but it didn’t matter very much. They both knew Odion would do whatever he was told. “As long as you let me keep my gummy bear collection,” Odion continued with conviction. Marik had no idea what he was talking about but decided to let it slip without question this time. Maybe his servant was just confused. He sounded so confident that Marik knew what he was talking about, after all. 

* * *

 By collecting six locator cards, Marik was assured placement in the finals. Holding the cards together, he revealed the location: a large stadium. Upon arrival, he found Yugi and friends there, as expected. They were standing with Kaiba and his security guards, waiting to board a blimp once all the finalists were gathered. 

Téa and Joey gave him odd looks, and he wondered briefly if it was possible that they knew his true identity. The thought was dismissed as quickly as it came by Téa’s next remark. 

“Future husband, allow me to introduce my future sex slave!” she said, gesturing to Yugi. 

Marik’s mouth fell open and he gave a small laugh, assuming it was some sort of weird joke. Had Joey dared her to say something like that? Were they testing his sense of humor? He was glad Yugi didn’t give him much time to respond because he wouldn’t have known what to say. 

“Hey there, I’m Yugi Muto, gullible idiot in training!” Now there was a statement Marik could agree with. But if Yugi was saying it, maybe it was a trick. 

 _That must be it. He wants me to agree with him so he can call me out as Marik. But how did they find out?!_ He panicked, thinking back to any clues he could’ve accidentally revealed about his identity and finding none. This uncertainty was more troubling than if Yugi had actually called him by name. If anyone in their gang had evidence to confirm he wasn’t the friend he claimed to be, why not just say it? _They must still need some evidence from me, and maybe that’s what this bizarre act is really about. They’re trying to get me to reveal something._

Yet, when he glanced around, he noticed that Kaiba seemed to think their behavior was perfectly normal. _But why would they trust Kaiba enough to tell him anything like that?_ Everyone was on the same page except for him, but if he didn’t pretend to understand whatever was going on, he’d risk looking out-of-place and reveal himself anyway. He knew he had to say something, but he was having difficulty figuring out the rules of this new game they were playing. 

Téa interrupted the silence that was beginning to get too awkward. “Hey it’s the other sexually ambiguous character!” As she motioned to the entrance, Bakura walked into the arena, and although Marik found him intolerable, he was grateful the spotlight had shifted away from him. Their conversation allotted Marik some much-needed time to redesign his disguised personality. Apparently the boundaries that dictated most social situations did not apply. If he was going to fit in, he would have to break social norms and cross those lines too. Ironically, the concept of gaining the gang’s trust and friendship was pathetic to him. However, this was the only way to ensure victory in the finals. He could put on an act, even if it was ridiculous, if it meant the downfall of the one in whose name he suffered. 

As he tuned in again, everyone made a point of how stupid they were for believing Bakura’s impression of Ryou and his story about obtaining the locator cards. All the declarations of naiveté were true in Marik’s opinion, and he again pondered exactly how much they knew.

Before he woke up that morning, Yugi, Joey, and Téa were willing to risk their lives to defeat him because they believed he was evil. They were all confident in their actions, and Marik was sure they would never agree with him about anything, much less their own flaws. But now they were admitting some of their actions didn’t make sense, with the same confidence, all because… Because they needed more evidence from him? As the conversations progressed, the only logical explanation Marik could come up with made less and less sense. If Bakura’s lies were obvious, his must be as well. 

He considered the implications of this new idea with no less confusion. _If everyone knows who I am, why wouldn’t they do anything about it?_ He couldn’t think of an answer. It just didn’t make sense. Yet all his memories of the day in conjunction with his senses at the present insisted this was real. He couldn’t afford to speak out, so he remained silent. With every odd remark he outwardly accepted without question, his inner self drifted further away and was almost lost to the disorienting confusion. 

A source of rationality briefly broke through Marik’s thoughts when Odion appeared, announcing himself as Marik. _At least one thing’s still going according to plan._ The relief didn’t last more than a few seconds as Odion added, “I like to take control of people’s minds and dress in highly effeminate clothing. Also, I have an irrational hatred for gummy bears. I’m pretty much the worst boss ever.” There was no way his brother had conspired with Yugi, Yugi’s friends, _and_ Kaiba, so he chose to assume they didn’t know who he was after all. Something else was wrong, very wrong. 

Furthermore, hearing his brother speak so openly and shamelessly about his opinions was a slap in the face. On some level, he knew how much he took Odion for granted, but he also thought the man respected him. This was clearly not the case, as Odion chose the only situation in which Marik couldn’t defend himself to criticize him. The move was cunning and it threatened their power dynamic, making Marik feel simultaneously angry at the disrespect and guilty about his own treatment of his brother. His hypocrisy was all too evident. 

Kaiba expressed his concerns about letting “Marik” on board, considering how he kidnapped Mokuba, but then claimed to care more about winning the God card in Marik’s possession than his little brother. He was blatantly pointing out how uncaring he was. With that piece of information, the prevailing trend became clearer: conversation was made at the expense of the speaker. 

Marik finally felt like he was beginning to catch on. Everyone was completely aware of their flaws and either unwilling or unable to change, so they used their knowledge to make self-depricating jokes. And if they could easily spot their own shortcomings, they would no doubt be looking for the same quality in him. _Okay, what would be the flaw of an ordinary duelist at the finals?_ Once he thought it through and decided what to say, everyone was boarding the blimp.

“I’m really just an amateur and I don’t know what makes me think I can win against anyone here, but I’m foolishly optimistic enough to try.” Sure enough, the sentiment was convincing and no one thought anything of it. 

Integrating oneself into a group by fabricating a personality to match their expectations was certainly draining, if not traumatic. It was like erasing the part of himself that was aware of how ridiculous this all was. The only incentive that kept Marik fastened to his resolve was the realization of his power over the pharaoh. 

* * *

 Aboard the blimp, Marik made his way quickly to his room, not wanting to interact with anyone if he could help it. Part of him hoped that everything would return to normal the next day, but he knew it was wishful thinking. He would just try to avoid everyone as much as he could. _Wait… maybe not everyone. There might be one person who can give me some answers._

He spun around on the spot and caught a glimpse of white hair heading down another hall. _He’s smart. He must know something._ After following his supposed ally, Marik gave a knock on his door. 

“Marik?” Bakura greeted him with mild curiosity. “What is it you want?”

“I’m not the only one who thinks Yugi and his little pals have been acting strangely today, am I?” If things went as he expected, Bakura would’ve been able to explain. However, this just wasn’t Marik’s day. 

“I don’t believe they could get any dumber, if that’s what you mean,” said Bakura with a smirk. Thinking that the boy before him was the same Marik from the day before, Bakura thought he was just making excuses to bother him. He expected the other to prattle on about the mistakes their enemies made, the imminent demise of the pharaoh, or even something about being on Kaiba’s blimp. Instead, he was met with Marik’s dissatisfied expression, and he immediately grew concerned. “What’s wrong?”

The fact that Bakura had to ask him what was wrong, what was so terribly disconcerting in his mind, meant that his ally didn’t notice it. He couldn’t keep guessing at the source of the problem forever, so he settled on a rare moment of honesty. “They aren’t usually so…” he paused to think of the right word. “…forward.” 

Bakura realized two things as Marik was talking. Firstly, his voice didn’t carry its usual annoying tone; there was something more deliberate about his manner of speaking. Secondly, there was the pause as he searched for the right word to use. Bakura had never known him to be so thoughtful about what he said. “You _are_ Marik, aren’t you? Marik Sebastian Ishtar III?” 

“What? It’s just… just Marik Ishtar…” he said with a blank look. 

“Oh, bollocks,” Bakura muttered to himself as something clicked in his mind.

“What? Tell me what’s going on!” Marik said forcefully. He was too tired to guess at things. 

“You’re in the wrong universe, I’m afraid.” 

“Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” 

“Calm down, let me explain.” Bakura was unused to seeing Marik truly angry and was unsure of how to handle this. Marik glared at him but said no more, so he did his best to break the fourth wall. “You’re in an alternate universe that encompasses all the people and events in your life, but with a comedic twist. It’s called the abridged-verse.” He waited for his ally to assimilate the information, hoping he wouldn’t take it too harshly. 

“Okay…” Marik didn’t fully understand the implications of the phenomenon he somehow managed to be a part of, but at least it answered his questions. “How do I get back to my universe then?” 

“Wish I could tell you. Perhaps it will all be fixed in a few hours when the sun rises.” 

“…Okay. I’ll sleep through it then.”

A thought occurred to Bakura. If this was the “original” Marik, he may be able to get a better understanding of how their relationship was supposed to work, or where it might be headed. And he really, really hoped it would turn out the way he wanted it to. “Wait.”  
Marik was halfway out the door before he heard the other speak, noting some urgency in his voice. “Yes?”

“Funny thing about this universe: everyone thinks we’re gay for each other.” 

“What the hell?!” He’d be lying if he said he never thought about it, but how could this version of Bakura know anything so personal? “Why would I even have time to think about that?!” 

Bakura was actually hurt by the angry words. He reasoned that Marik must abhor the idea of them being together, and if that was canon, there was little hope for his relationship with the abridged!Marik. “Sorry. Didn’t know you would find it so distasteful.” 

Marik had to wonder what would lead anyone to the true depth of his feelings. “What am I even like in this universe?”

“You’re talkative. And, er… confident.” He didn’t want to make the other angrier than he already seemed to be by insulting him. “You make me less miserable.” That last part was entirely honest, although he would never admit it to abridged!Marik. 

“Then our worlds must be vastly different,” he shook his head. As far as he knew, the Bakura from his universe was only interested in getting what he wanted, nothing more. He would never be in Marik’s company by choice. 

The thought that they would never be together saddened Bakura greatly. He masked it with bitterness. “Do you even know what ‘abridged’ _means?_ It means all the unnecessary parts get cut out! But the essentials are the same!” 

“What are you implying?” A tiny glimmer of hope emerged from the overwhelming pessimism. 

“Well if I,” Bakura stumbled, unable to believe he was taking such a big risk in confessing this. “If I care about you as much as I do in this world… There must be _some_ truth to it!” He folded his arms, waiting for Marik to argue with him. 

“You’re serious.” It was neither a question nor a direct statement, but something in between. 

Bakura turned away to hide his blush but said nothing else. 

“In that case, if the ‘me’ in this universe is anything like myself, you won’t have a problem.” 

When Bakura turned to face Marik again, he was gone. 

The circumstances of the day may have been troublesome, but at least one good thing came of it. Marik and Bakura gave each other some hope, and no matter how dim or small that light was in the darkness, it was undoubtedly there. The next day, Marik awoke back in the canon universe with the knowledge that his feelings were mutual. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time, Abridged!Marik is in the canon universe!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this for a really long time now- thank you to everyone who commented or left kudos, your encouragement kept me motivated!

The Battle City tournament was nearing its next phase, and more importantly, so was Marik’s plan to defeat the pharaoh. He thought gleefully about the impending doom that would surely befall Yugi and his friends. _The first step is convincing them that I’m Malik Blishtar— not to be confused with Marik Ishtar._ His brother Odion was the perfect person to ask for acting advice due to his uninteresting minor character archetype. 

“Odion, you’re the expert on being bland and one-dimensional! I command you to tell me your secret!”

“Marik, are you… feeling alright?” asked Odion with genuine concern. Perhaps the stress of the tournament was affecting his brother.

Marik found the offer of sympathy quite unexpected. “Of course I’m alright! The pharaoh shall soon meet his demise! I couldn’t be better!” he exclaimed defensively. 

“I meant no disrespect. You seem different today, that’s all,” Odion reassured.

“Different? What the frig are you talking about? When we get back to Egypt, it’s bye-bye to your gummy bears collection!” He expected his brother to be quite upset about this and call him an asshole or some other insult. Instead, Odion chose to walk out of the room and leave Marik to his thoughts; in the unlikely case that Marik was developing a _third_ personality, he wanted to give the former tombkeeper his space. 

—

When Marik entered the stadium where the finals were to take place, he noticed Yugi and friends had already arrived. Surely the pharaoh was in possession of Slifer the Executive Producer, which he would obtain for himself soon. Joey and Téa approached to greet him.

“Wait a minute, I know you. You’re Namu, right?” asked Joey.

Before Marik could tell him what a dumb name Namu was, Téa said appreciatively, “You saved Bakura’s life!”

“Oh, um, yes! Yes I did! That is a thing I did!” Marik affirmed with pride. Finally, someone was giving him the recognition he deserved! 

“Yeah, he’s in the hospital resting now,” Téa informed him. Then she introduced him to Yugi, and Marik remembered his desire for revenge.

“Soon I shall destroy everything you hold dear! I mean…” Marik looked worriedly at Joey and Téa, who seemed very confused by his slip-up. That was odd. Usually one little misspoken line wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of the plot. _No one is_ really _going to figure out who I am, right?_

“Oh, you must have a lot of determination to do well in the finals!” Yugi offered as an explanation. He was naturally sympathetic, and Namu came off as more of an awkward person with a lot of enthusiasm than someone who was truly threatening. 

“Sure! Of course!” Marik hurried to agree. 

“Any friend of Joey’s and Téa’s is a friend of mine!” Yugi proclaimed. 

Judging from Téa’s hesitant smile, she was probably going to wait and learn more about him before she would be willing to accuse him of anything. Joey on the other hand, was still frowning and giving him a suspicious stare. 

Marik was beginning to grow annoyed at being caught off guard more often than usual, and he couldn’t figure out why no one was distracted by his gorgeous midriff. He was about to make fun of Joey for not being as friendly as he claimed, but they were all interrupted by a sound at the arena’s entrance.

They turned to see the identity of the sixth finalist: it was Bakura. Much to Marik’s surprise, the friendship gang seemed genuinely concerned about Bakura’s health. Their reactions to Bakura’s six locator cards were priceless, and he had to bite his tongue to keep from bursting out into giggles. 

Just as they started questioning Bakura about his story, Odion conveniently appeared. Yugi, his friends, and even Kaiba regarded Odion with suspicion because they thought he was Marik.

“Hello strange person whom I’ve never met!” Marik greeted him. This time his awkwardness was dismissed entirely; the others were more focused on giving ‘Marik’ a piece of their minds. Especially Joey. 

Kaiba’s giant blimp finally landed, and everyone boarded. Marik walked straight to his room to get some rest before the grand plan was set in motion, but he was rather put off by the non-fluffy pillows. Instead, he got up to gaze at the reflection of his own beautiful face in the window. He did not expect to be bothered by anyone until the next morning, but after several minutes he heard a knock at his door. 

“Unless you’re room service, go away!” shouted Marik irritably. 

“It’s me, you fool!” said Bakura from behind the door, the Ring spirit clearly in control. 

After weighing his desire to lay in bed against the need to maintain his alliance with Bakura, Marik decided it was worth opening the door. He was met with an intense glare. 

“What do you think you’re playing at, Ishtar?” Bakura questioned venomously. He remained in the doorway, arms crossed. 

Marik had no idea how he was expected to answer, so he settled for the obvious. “Uh… children’s card games?” Yet his response only escalated the situation further. 

Bakura shoved him against the adjacent wall, pinning him there, and the door closed behind them. 

“Gaahhh!” Marik shouted in alarm. “Hey! What gives?”

“Enough with the act!” Bakura had never completely trusted his ally’s methods, but the way he’d been acting was unusually disconcerting. “Whatever your reasoning for this, I can’t have you accidentally revealing your identity before our bargain is fulfilled!”

“I don’t know what you’re on about! Seriously!” Marik was exasperated, and a bit of fear also entered his mind when he realized Bakura was inches from his face and the Millennium Rod was still at his bedside. 

“I saw you snickering at Yugi and his friends after I showed them my locator cards! What would have happened if one of them turned around and saw you?! And how do you explain whatever you said to the man impersonating you?” Bakura told himself that his need for answers was purely logistical, that it _definitely_ wasn’t concern.

“I don’t know!” Marik began crying loudly. “It’s not like I’m _trying_ to reveal that I am Marik Sebastian Ishtar III!” 

“Sebastian Ishtar III,” echoed Bakura, his frustration fading as cogs started turning in his mind. He took a step back from the wall, giving Marik some space. “You place such emphasis on the name, yet this is the first time you’ve spoken the entire thing.”

Marik dried the tears from his face, his demeanor shifting rapidly. He began to explain the matter in detail without pausing once for breath, “Well Marik Sebastian Ishtar III is _my_ name but the name of my persona in the other universe is just Marik Ishtar so I get that it confuses some people but I don’t think it’s terribly difficult to remember and you should be respectful—”

“Hold on, other universe?” Bakura cut him off. Then, growing suspicious, he added, “You haven’t gone completely mad have you?” 

“How do you not know…” Marik started drifting off into space, and no less than five full minutes of awkward silence passed before his face lit up with the simple conclusion, “Oh! I must be in the wrong universe!”

“Explain.” The last sliver of doubt kept Bakura from turning around and walking out the door right then, plan be damned.

“There’s another universe where everything’s mostly the same, but funnier! And everyone knows you have a crush on me but you’re too afraid of your feelings to admit it,” said Marik plainly.

Bakura felt like he’d just taken a punch to the gut, the air escaping his lungs and leaving him speechless. His mouth fell open and he stared dumbly at the version of Marik in front of him.

“You okay?” asked Marik, noticing his ally’s change in expression. “Don’t worry, in a few hours the sun will rise, and then everything should go back to normal!” He offered a genuine, sympathetic smile.

“You don’t… have a problem with that?” asked Bakura quietly, his voice almost a whisper.

“Do I have a problem with going back to my universe? Of course not!” he grinned.

Although Marik pretended not to know what Bakura had really been referring to, Bakura could tell by his tone that he’d understood, and had chosen not to respond directly. 

“In that case,” Bakura said as a mischevious look crossed his face, “before you return, you won’t mind if I do this…” He leaned forward and gave Marik a kiss.

“You should do that for the _real_ me, too,” suggested Marik. “I’m sure he’d love it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Bakura, leaving the room. 

The next morning, almost all was as it had been only two days prior. The only difference was a few minor changes to Bakura’s plans for the future.


End file.
